Ray Duhon - Solving the Puzzle of Biblical Prophecy: Understanding What The Bible Says About The End Times

Solving the Puzzle of Biblical Prophecy

Understanding What The Bible Says About The End Times

Copyright 2021 by Ray Duhon

ISBN-ePub: 978-1-64749-229-8

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

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Contents

Acknowledgment

I want to thank Michael and Miram Fauth for their invaluable assistance in the Jewish culture from which they came to help me learn how to think like a Jew. I want to thank my mom who helped me keep things simple and to my son Joshua who came up with the title for the book.

Preface

Many books have presented countless theories about prophecy offering dozens of explanations for symbols either real or imagined, yet they still leave us in the dark about prophecy. Ive read dozens trying to find someone who would answer my questions: Where do they get that explanation? What is the source for that definition? How do they get the explanation to this or that symbol? How can I know whether it is an accurate interpretation if the given responses to my questions just beat circles around my questions without any honest answers? I have been greeted with such answers that would defy the imagination and my questions would remain unanswered. For the past twenty-five years, I found myself asking the same questions of each author or prophecy seminar expert and found myself still seeking an answer after they gave one (if I got one at all). Why couldnt they just say, I dont know and leave it at that? It has always been my opinion that anyone, who is afraid to say I dont know, but Ill find out and will dodge the question instead, will not tell you the truth about what really matters. I lose respect for them i n a hurry.

It wasnt until I threw out all preconceived interpretations that I had, all of the erroneous doctrines and millennial positions (pre- post- and a-millennial) that these authors taught and just started over using the Bible as the final authority that I began to find answers, real answers to the questions I had about prophecy. Therefore, I submit to you that if you want a biblical understanding that is honest and accurate, you must do the same. Discard your preconceived concepts of prophecy, start with a blank page, go back to the Bible and build your prophecy picture from there. In the end, you may discover something you never dreamed possible before and something that I am sure that I may have missed as well. After all, I am not an expert, just a student of the Word searching for the truth.

When I sat down and started putting notes together to help me understand Biblical Prophecy, I did not do so with the intent to write a book. But as my notes grew larger and my understanding grew clearer of the subject, I felt compelled to attempt to put these thoughts in a logical progression which would help those behind me come to understand the scriptures in this area as well, thus this project was born. There have been times I was forced to change my position on prophetic statements for two reasons: 1) I was in error because those prior positions were in error, thus I started in error with preconceived ideas born of those millennial viewpoints; and 2) because the scriptures revealed something refreshingly different. To me, what the Bible says is the supreme authority and I simply want to be accurate with the Scriptures so it was easier for me to correct my position than it was to remain in error at the top of my voice like many of the experts in the field of eschatology. My goal has always been to know the truth and preach it unashamed, uncompromised and with as little error as possible. Anyone who knows me will tell you that my position on what the Bible says will only change when I am given book, chapter and verse, and then I will proclaim it with the boldest confidence because then I stand on the truth. Opinions will come and go, but the Scriptures will las t forever.

Having studied Greek, I discovered that the New American Standard Bible (NASB) is the most accurate modern day translation to the Greek. Therefore all quotations from the Scriptures will be from the NASB unless otherwise noted with that speci fic quote.

This book is for the beginner the one who wants a simple explanation to prophecy in a simplistic logical format. It is not my intention to go into great detail on all the minutia of prophecy although we will cover all the important facts, but I will share with you what I discovered and in fact, still discovering. I do not pretend to know all of the answers, but I have found that prophecy does not have to be as difficult to understand as we make it to be. If I speculate in an area, I will label that as a speculation and show you how I reach that conclusion from a logical chain of evidence that will only be refuted by book, chapter and verse. I realize that there will be some that will disagree with my findings and that is expected, however, my conclusions have been fire-tested by these experts and even had some of my conclusions dismissed by experts who try to cling to their pre-conceived positions, but never disproven again because no book, chapter and verse were given to disprove the conclusions I reached.

My ambition in writing this book is to discover what the Bible says about itself and thus discover what God said all along and not just validate someones opinion. There are fewer surprises that way. Join me as we piece together this maze of puzzle pieces and discover the Big Picture that God said would bless us when we read and hear the words of this prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3). With a little common sense, and scriptural answers to prophetic questions, we can put those pieces together to Solve the Puzzle of Biblical Prophecy .

Chapter 1

READ THIS FIRST

Principles of Understanding Prophecy

For literally thousands of years, man has wondered how the world would end. Although we are in the first 20 years of a new millennium, we have seen the fear run rampant about whether this was the time when the world would come to an end or not. Starting this millennium saw devastating attacks on 9/11/2001, ongoing wars in the Middle East, natural disasters like hurricane Katrina, tsunamis crossing the pacific, famine in third world countries like Haiti, worldwide pestilence with Covid-19, and even the politicized cry of doomsayers like the ice age/global warming/ climate change thats been around for the past 50 years. There have been as many end of the world theories as there have been guesses as to the date of the Return of Christ. Some of these theories even have dramatic opening lines like There are no prophecies left to be fulfilled before the rapture take s place!